With the advent of “hot pluggable” optical transceivers, latching devices have become a popular safety feature to ensure that the transceiver module is held within the guide rail or cage until purposely removed. Bail latching devices have become particularly popular, due to their functional and ergonomic advantages. Previous bail designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,263 issued to IBM Corp., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,918 issued to Finisar Corp. The bail in the IBM device forces plastic arms, which are normally biased inwardly, outwardly into engagement with the guide rail system. The bail in the Finisar device pivots a separate pivoting latch member, which is normally biased into engagement with the cage by a specially designed extension of the housing. Both of these devices require specially designed housings, and the use of a separate pivoting latch member or arm, which moves into or out of engagement with the guide rail or cage system. The Finisar device in particular requires a complex assembly process to ensure that the bail, the pivoting latch member and the housing all interact correctly.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a simpler bail latching device with fewer movable parts, providing a more robust structure, and facilitating a much easier assembly process.